Learning a new language – Russian

Part of my New Year’s resolutions – write something in the diary every day. This is a start.

For the past week I’ve been warming up my Russian. It’s years since I used it at all, and I was expecting to get nowhere. Actually I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Bits are coming back to me, and not just the numbers and standard phrases that everyone seems to remember. I’m remembering the patterns for the regular verbs.

The thing I find most difficult, is listening to people speaking Russian. I have some software which has a good number of examples. I expect (hope) that the producers used native speakers. Anyway, that’s the bit I find hardest. I seem to be making progress. It’s as sort of “tuning in” process. My hearing or understanding is becoming more attuned to listening to Russian.

And for the rest of the day, I have some ECDL (European Computer Driving License) scripts to mark. This has been delayed a little because there was a mix-up with the exam papers and the CD containing what the students had done. I was given the wrong CD, and so had nothing to mark. Still, no harm done and it shouldn’t take me too long to work through them.

Outside the sun is shining, and reflecting off the frost on the grass. A bright, pleasant day. I may take some of it off to go for a walk.